Bottle rack



Jan. 1, 1952 A. R. GROSS Bowmzmcx Filed Aug. 13, 1948 Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED.

s rATENT OFFICE 1 My invention relates generally to bottle-holding racks, and, more specifically, to racks for holding bottles adapted to contain carbonated.

beverages and the like. I

Racks of this type, which are generally used to holdempty bottles and which are usually associated with automatic coin-operated bottledispensing devices, have hitherto been provided with built-in shelves. Such racks are usually heavy and cumbersome, and frequently the shelves thereof become catch-alls for bits of waste paper, cigarette butts, and other litter. Therefore, a highly important object of my invention is the provision of a bottle rack which is inexpensive to manufacture, whichis extremely light in weight, which is devoid of internal bottlesupporting shelves, and which is rugged in construction and durable in use. 1

Another highly important object of my inventionis the provision of a rack as set forth having a front wall and a back stop wall element, the front wall having a plurality of apertures each of a size to admit the base and maximum diameter body portions of a bottle of given dimensions, the upper and lower edges of said apertures engaging the body portions of the bottles outwardly of the centers of gravity thereof, and a back stop wall element engaging the bases of the bottles;

Other important objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claim, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of my improved bottle rack;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing a modified form of the invention.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-3 inclusive, my improved rack is shown as being in the nature of a hollow rectangular structure having a vertically-disposed front wall I, integrally-formed side walls 2, and a back stop wall element in the form of a solid wall 3. The back wall 3 is provided at its opposite side edge portions with rearwardlyprojecting flanges 4 which are rigidly secured to the rear edge portions of the side walls 2 by spot welding or the like. A top wall section 5 is provided with a down-turned flange 6 which engages the top edge portion of the front and side walls I and 2 respectively and is rigidly secured thereto by spot Welding or the like. The upper end of the back wall 3 is formed to provide a rearwardly-projecting flange I which is welded to thetop wall 5 adjacent its rear edge. The rear edge portion of the top wall 5 is formed to provide a down-turned flange 8 which is adapted to be seated in an upwardly-opening hook 9 secured to the. side of a coin-controlled automatic bottle-dispensing machine Ill. The dispensing machine H] is diagrammatically-indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and forms no essential part of the invention herein disclosed except to provide a supporting meanstherefor.

A generally rectangular bottom wall II is formed with a peripheral flange l2 which is spot weldedto the. lower end portions of the front wall I, side walls 2, and rear wall 3. The bottom wall II is provided with a plurality of relatively large circular openings 13, the purpose of which will hereinafter become apparent. A pair of supporting legs 44 are welded or otherwise secured to the flange lZ in opposite rear corners of the bottom wall II, and. provide supporting means for the rack when no supporting means such as the hook 9, on the machine I0, is available. The back wall 3 is provided with stiffening ribs l5 and lfiwhich are spot welded thereto and extend transversely of the rack. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2- that the rib [6 extends rear-,-

wardly of the rack, and when said rack is suspended on the up-turned hook 9 a slight rearward inclination is imparted to the rack.

The front wall I is provided with a plurality of bottle-receiving apertures l1. Said apertures ll are preferably circular and of a size to admit the bases and maximum diameter body portions of bottles of given dimensions. Apertures I! are defined by annular flanges Ha. which provide smooth passage of bottles therethrough. In the embodiment illustrated, the rack is adapted to receive bottles of a shape peculiar to a nationally advertised and distributed beverage, said bottles being indicated by the numeral l8, and comprising base portions I9, maximum diameter body portions 20, and neck portions 2|. The rear wall 3 is spaced from the front wall I to admit the greater portion of the bottle 18, see particularly Fig. 2. When one of the bottles I8 is inserted into the rack to the extent permitted by the engagement of the base l9 thereof by the back wall 3, the plane of the vertical front wall I will lie outwardly of the center of gravity of I provide a plurality of stiffening ribs in the nature of angle bars24 secured by welding or the like to the inner surfaces of the front will 1 The ribs 24 extend transversely of the front wall I between adjacent rows of bottle-rec'fiiiri'gapei tures 11. It will be seen by referenGEtO Fig-"Q that the ribs 24 extend rearwardly but a relatively short distance, and that the inte'fitfr'of the rack is otherwise unobstructed from the top wall 5 to the bottomwall ll thereof. '1 have found that racks having vertically-spaced horizontally-extended bottle'-'-'receiving shelveshave had theshelvesthereoremaeredwits-hemetaps,

matches, and other litter thibwdthrintb by careless persons. Any 'such fdreign'niattr whith may be-admitted throughth'e apertures I! will fall bygravity-to the bottom wa-lltheme: and be discharged through the openings 3 "in s'a'id wall I I.

- In the il'lodille d strlltit u re i1liistratd -in Fl gfll, a back stop wall eleni'ent is shown as iiin gd n the nature of a pluralityof spaced stop strips preferably formed frmangle iron--61 the kc.- The' strips 25= extend from the bottom wan J H" to the top wan-ms: shown; sna' mdis sses-tne each intersecting the rearwardly-projeotd axes of one of the vein-m1=-"rot s= sr spermres "l1 in the fro'nt'w'all l'. Except for 'th'e"substitutiohbf stop strips 25 for the Solid'babkwfallfifthestflibture of the rack is ide'ntlca'lto triat inilstrateilj-in Figs. 1-3 inclusive, -lik'eparts being designated by like numerals with-prime marksadded.

The rack herein described -is particularly adapted foriise' with 'bo ttls or tllt fikin c1 illustrated; but may be ased to c'ont ain and .tt'ofe other bottleshaving 'subs'tan tially' the s'arne' dimensions. Obviously, -for lar'ger 01 sm'alle bottles,- the diameter of thy-apertures ll arid tli'e distance between the" front wan 11 lasawall 3 must be 'commensii'rat'e wi-th-theiie 61 said-bottles.

iii

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be entirely adequate for the fulfillment of the objectives set forth, and while I have disclosed a preferred embodiment and a single modification thereof, it will be understood that the same is capable of further modification within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claim.

What I claim is:

A rack for holding cross sectionally :circular bottles of given dimensions comprising. a generally vertical front wall having a plurality of circular bottle-receiving apertures, and a back stop wall"'element in spaced parallel relation to said apertured wall, each of the apertures being of a dia'nieter'to admit the base and maximum diameter rbody'lport'ionsmf one of said bottles, the spacing of said apertured wall and said back stop 'wall' element with respect to the length and shape of the bottles being such that the upper and lower circular edge portions of said "apertures engage'-said-bottles outwardly of the centers :of gravity thereof, whereby said bottles will 'tilt downwardly within said rack, the bases of said bottles engagingsaid verticalback 'stop' wall eleme'nt,said upper and lower edge portions of the apertures-andsaid vertical wall element constitii tin'gthe-sole meansof support for said -bottles.

ARTHUR-R. "GROSS.

-REFER'EITCES CITED The following. referencesxare: of record in the file of i this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date f85',"208 Burrow -J-Decf22jl8'68 601,040 Phillips Sept/28,1926 948,041 McGowan '-Feb. 20,1934 'l39'62'-,60'8 Mc'Eachern J'une"12," 1934 2,035,935 A-llen "Mar."3l, 1936 2,050,980 Buhl "Aug. I1, 1936 2,-lg884 Barnes l 'Apr. 25, 1939 '2 ,'-'338-; 3l0 -Barnes Jan: 4,1944 234595333 McKinley- Jan. 18,1949

FOREIGN PATENTS mints; country I 'Date "416,518 Great Britain Sept.17, l934 

